Reynolda Conservatory Restoration

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Front view of historic Reynolda Conservatory with ornate front entrance
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Project Details

Project Type

Public Gardens and Education

Location

Winston-Salem, NC

Structure(s)

Historical greenhouse conservatory

Services:

Aerial view of Reynolda Conservatory showing main greenhouses flanked by two connecting greenhouses
Gorgeous landscaping perfectly complements the newly restored Reynolda/Brown Conservatory.

About the Reynolda Conservatory

The Reynolda Conservatory once again shines as the sparkling crown jewel in the country estate gardens of the late R.J. and Katharine Reynolds.

The conservatory has stood as a silent witness to more than a century of Reynolda’s history, slowly wearing down over time. A seven-month restoration project recently restored the conservatory to its original glory.

Katharine, wife of tobacco tycoon R.J. Reynolds, envisioned a large conservatory for the Reynolda estate with sections for a palm house, a grapevine area, vegetable space, a propagation room, and a workroom.

 She turned to the world-renowned Lord & Burnham greenhouse manufacturing and design firm to create the Reynolda conservatory.

Iconic conservatories like the Phipps Conservatory and the New York Botanical Garden Conservatory owe their distinctive looks to the Lord & Burnham firm.

When construction finished in 1913, the Reynolda Conservatory commanded attention with its majestic columned entrance and central dome rising from a curved glass roof.

The conservatory includes three interconnected greenhouses. Short, connecting corridors on each side of the main greenhouse branch off to two smaller A-frame-style greenhouses with curved eaves.

A fourth greenhouse, known as the Melon house, stands alone a short distance behind the main complex.

The Melon house was once connected to a head house, but workers later tore the head house down. The W.H. Lutton Greenhouse Company originally built the Melon House.

All four greenhouses have stone knee walls that add a rustic touch of country charm. Restoration workers gathered field stones from the estate grounds to repair the wall.

The Reynolds family propagated vegetables in the conservatory and grew melons in the winter. Katharine also created lavish seasonal displays for the community to enjoy and hosted an annual chrysanthemum show.

Landscaping surrounding the restored Reynolda Conservatory

Time and Changes Give the Conservatory a New Look

Unfortunately, the Reynolda conservatory’s original appearance didn’t last. Years of exposure to the elements and constant use wore down the greenhouses.

Lord & Burnham led a major restoration effort in 1997, replacing some of the beautiful, curved eaves with flat, standard-glass panes and aluminum shutters.

Fast-forward to the present day, where a generous donation from Malcolm and Patricia Brown, combined with other contributions and fundraising efforts, made the 2023 restoration project possible.

“In working through the original planning process, we knew there weren’t many firms out there with the expertise and long history of restoration in their portfolio,” says Jon Roethling, Director of Reynolda Gardens at Wake Forest University. “Prospiant met all those needs and then some.

Prior to 2020, we reached out to what was then Rough Bros. Rob Tanzer came down to take a look at the Conservatory. When Rob described himself as a “greenhouse geek”, we knew early on that Rough (now Prospiant) was a company we needed to consider for this restoration.”

The directive to the companies working on the project was clear—rehabilitate the structures and return them to their original 1913 appearance, preserving as much of the original work as possible.

The conservatory, now named the Brown Family Conservatory and Welcome Center, reopened to the public in October 2024 after extensive restoration and rehabilitation. It now serves as the public entrance to Reynolda’s formal gardens.

The Welcome Center sits beside the conservatory. Here visitors get an overview of the historic estate, which includes the Reynolda House Museum of Art, Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University, and Reynolda Village.

Visitors can stroll through seasonal displays and special plant exhibitions in the conservatory, just as they did in Katharine’s day. The conservatory includes a palm room, an Orangerie, and a tropical plant area.

Other sections in the conservatory highlight plants from the five Mediterranean climates of the world. There’s also a dedicated space for orchids going through dormancy after blooming.

For those wanting to take a piece of the gardens home, the conservatory’s garden shop offers a selection of plants showcased in the displays.

Restoring Reynolda Conservatory Without Losing Its History

Work on the Reynolda greenhouses started in November of 2023, and the restored greenhouses reopened in late spring 2024.

Prospiant’s extensive experience restoring and recreating Lord & Burnham and Lutton greenhouses put it in a unique position to help with the project.

When Lord & Burnham closed its doors for good, Prospiant ensured its legacy could live on by acquiring the firm’s original drawings, templates, and equipment.  

With these tools and its strong manufacturing capabilities, Prospiant created historically accurate aluminum replicas for the Reynolda restoration project to replace its original wooden components. This ensured the restored building would last longer than the original build.

Team members replaced many of the wood components with aluminum extrusions. They refinished all the steel on the original structure and added more to strengthen it.

Crews also reinforced some structural elements to support the heavier ¼-inch glass on the roof that replaced the original 1/8-inch glass.

Embracing the Future While Preserving the Past

Striking a balance between preserving the historical charm of the conservatory and modernizing it for functionality and efficiency came with its challenges.

Installing environmental controls from Wadsworth Control Systems was a nod to modern-day technology, but the time and labor saved by automating the greenhouses made it a smart choice.

The Reynolda conservatory’s vents had stopped working, making improved ventilation a top priority. Workers installed new mechanicals on the vents and used elbow arms to open and close the vents, just like the ones used in the original design. Now, the vents are fully automated for added convenience.

In three of the four greenhouses, the original builders located the gutters above the knee wall instead of the usual spot higher up at the eave. It took some creativity and skill from the team to make everything work smoothly.

Reynolda’s owners wanted shade systems added to the greenhouses, but this wasn’t feasible in two of the four houses.

Prospiant recommended using tinted-gray laminated OHM, a ¼-inch glass made of two 1/8-inch layers, for the Palm house and the Melon house. One layer of the glass is tinted gray, and the other layer is clear.

Gray-tinted glass serves the same purpose as a shade system and doesn’t need mechanical components to work. It appears very transparent on a clear day, so people might walk past it and not notice the coloration.

This type of glass helps preserve the greenhouse feel of the conservatory without the use of an opaque panel, so guests can enjoy the collections and exterior landscapes from the interior and exterior.

The glass is UV-transmitting with 30% less light transmission, which works great for keeping heat down in the building and making plants and visitors comfortable.

This is the first time Prospiant has installed a UV-transmitting inner layer in a conservatory. The team had a bit of a challenge finding a vendor who manufactured it and was comfortable working with curved glass.

A UV-transmitting inner layer is a specialty item not commonly used. The manufacturer only does one or two production runs a year due to the low demand.

If the ordering deadline is missed, there’s a long wait until the next production run (6 months). The owners opted to wait to get the product they wanted, and Prospiant was able to source it with minimal impact on the project schedule.

The Reynolda Conservatory closed to the public during the restoration project, which caused them to lose revenue from weddings and events. From day one, the team focused on finishing the project for the spring wedding season. Despite the delay with the glass, they completed the conservatory on time.

The Reynolda Conservatory’s Next Hundred Years

Restoring a historical conservatory isn’t easy. Preserving its legacy, building something that lasts another hundred years—that’s what drives Prospiant.

“As an architectural form, the greenhouse holds a fond place in the American imagination,” says Phil Archer, Betsy Main Babcock Deputy Director for Reynolda House Museum of American Art.

“In the seedlings it harbors, it represents hope; in the warmth it provides throughout the winter, it represents resilience; in the variety of life it sustains, it provides, at its best, a breathtaking spectacle.

“This restoration project pays homage to the significance of the Brown Family Conservatory as one of few early-20th century Lord & Burnham greenhouses still in existence and open to the public. We expect the Reynolda Conservatory to become a must-see destination for cultural tourists to the North Carolina Piedmont [region].”

As the Reynolda Conservatory neared completion back in 1913, Katharine sent Lord & Burnham her second payment with a letter of instructions. She penned “The houses seem to be progressing nicely, and I think we shall be much pleased with them.”

Katharine would be much pleased with the Reynolda Conservatory now in all its resplendent glory, knowing it’s used for the enjoyment and education of others. Be sure to stop by and see this gem when you’re in the area.

Reynolda entrusted Prospiant with its historical conservatory restoration—and we delivered. Need to restore your greenhouse or conservatory? Let’s talk.

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